Undersheriff recovering after river rescue

ARLINGTON — Snohomish County Undersheriff Tom Davis was recovering at home Monday after being rescued from the Stillaguamish River in Arlington the day before.

Arlington police and firefighters were called about 10:30 a.m. Sunday for a report of a man in the river off of E. Burke Avenue, near Twin Rivers Park.

A passerby pulled Davis from the water, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton said. Davis was taken to a local hospital and was released later Sunday.

As crews arrived in the area, they could see the man had been pulled to safety, Arlington fire acting Capt. Greg Koontz said. They set up the rescue operation from the park, he said.

The crews used a metal rescue basket to get Davis up the riverbank, he said. They had to use a chainsaw to clear the path through thick vegetation.

It wasn’t immediately clear how Davis ended up in the water, Koontz said.

The Herald’s news partner, KIRO-TV news, reported that Davis may have gone in the water after his dog. The dog also survived.

Both Davis and the passerby have declined to speak with reporters about the rescue.

Davis released a prepared statement Monday through the sheriff’s office.

“My family and I are extremely grateful for the quick actions taken by everyone involved yesterday, from the bystander who helped me from the river to the aid units who responded so quickly,” he said. “I cannot thank them enough.”

Davis has been with the sheriff’s office since 1987 and has been undersheriff since 2008, according to his department biography. He lives in north Snohomish County.